Learning to potty on command is a crucial life skill for a service dog. Most times while out, I don't have the opportunity to take my pup for a long walk until he finds the perfect spot to do his business. He needs to potty quickly and in the place I choose. (Photo Credit - Jarble)Many of my pet-owner friends are shocked that my two dogs go on command. They usually say something like "You mean you can actually train dogs to do that? ... I could never get my dog to do that." I usually smile and nod rather than going into detail about how to train for this. But, since it's a very important skill for a service dog to master, I'll share it here.
First, this is not an article on potty-training. There are far better resources out there that can direct you. Here is an excellent PDF from UCDavis - Housetraining Your Puppy. The chart on how often a pup needs to go out at different ages is especially helpful. When my pup was eight weeks old, I was pretty sure I spent most of my day taking him out to potty.
Secondly, it's easiest if you start out right from the beginning. I never take my dog for walks or allow them to play outside when I'm potty-training. If they get used to playing for awhile first or for going for long walks first, it can be difficult to train them to go immediately on command.
TRAINING TO POTTY ON COMMAND
Step 1 - Put the leash on, go right outside and stand in one place. Even if you have a fenced in yard, it's important to not let him go off exploring right now. Don't engage the puppy until he has gone. Then praise him profusely and offer a treat reward.
Step 2 - After the puppy potties, feel free to play with him outside and let him off leash (in a fenced yard). Basically you're all business until he goes and lots of fun afterwards. This teaches him to potty as quickly as possible so he can get to the fun part.
Step 3 - Add in a command like "go potty" (or what I personally use is "hurry up" since that's less embarrassing to say while out in public). Say the command at the moment your pup squats and then praise him enthusiastically and treat. (If the praise distracts him mid-stream, then dial it back a little. Each puppy needs a personalized level of praise. It shouldn't take you long to figure out a happy medium.) It takes awhile of doing this consistently but the pup will eventually start associating the word with the action. Then you'll be able to simply say the word and watch your puppy do his business in thirty seconds. Praise and rewards should continue for the rest of the pup's life.
BUT WHAT DO I DO WHEN WE'RE OUT AND HE STARTS TO GO?
- Don't panic. He's still a puppy. He's still learning.
- The best approach is to try to make sure he's empty before you go on walks or out to avoid this happening in the first place. Keep outings very short at first.
- Learn your puppy's signals so you can get to a potty spot before he squats. My puppy starts sniffing around more and gets very distracted.
- If you don't catch him in time and he goes to urinate, say "let's go" in a excited voice and run to the potty-spot. This interrupts the process and gives you a few moments grace to find a proper place for him to go and give the command.
- If it's too late and he's gone, just ignore it. No praise. No reprimand. You don't want him to associate a negative response with his going potty inside or out as this can lead to other issues later.
- Don't expect to force your puppy to "hold it." A puppy is not physically or mentally capable of holding it. If you see the signals (sniffing distractedly, running around in circles, etc.), find a place right away and give the command. You're not trying to control your puppy's need to go right now, but rather teaching him the steps and words he needs to do his business. Later on down the road, he will learn to hold it for longer and longer periods.
- Always, always, always clean up after your dog. Service Dog handlers especially need to set a great example so other teams don't suffer.
ADVANCED - PLAN FOR ALL KINDS OF SCENARIOS
There isn't always a grassy patch available. After your puppy is house-trained and responds reliable to the "go potty" command, it is time to expose him to going on other types of surfaces. Sidewalks, asphalt, gravel, woods, etc.. Take him to one of those surfaces when you know he has to go and start from the beginning again. Give him the command and stand still and business-like until he goes. Then praise profusely and give him a treat reward. If he absolutely refuses to go, take him back inside, crate him for a little while so he doesn't have an accident, and then try again.
Some dogs would rather hold it forever than go on odd surfaces. If this is your puppy and he absolutely refuses to go, it's not the end of the world. This can actually be a good thing since he will be very unlikely to have accidents while you're out. You will need to make extra sure though that your dog has adequate potty breaks in appropriate spots so he won't be uncomfortable.
WEEK 1 - HOMEWORK
- Continue building positive associations with the crate.
- Begin incorporating the above listed steps to start teaching your puppy to go on command.
- Read and reread this article! More learning the language of dog Calming Signals - The Art of Survival
No comments:
Post a Comment